A brief thought on loss of identity:

Fortunately for those who are reading this, I will not be commenting on any notions of culture or ethnicity. Rather, I would like to discuss the issue of personal identity...the sort that two major private institutions (here, and here) have now made available to those with malevolous designs through their ineptitude and carelesness.

Identity Theft:
In today's world of computers, the internet, and the myriad information that is available at our fingertips, identity theft rears its ugly head as perhaps one of the greatest threats to the individual citizen of our global world. Why, some might ask, is it such a big deal? Why is it so problematic for me to lose my passport or driver's license when they can both be replaced? Why should I bother shredding junk mail credit card offers instead of throwing them away?

The answer is simple: because there are people in the world, either individuals looking to score a quick buck at your expense, or organized crime rings that profit emensely from our carelesness, for whom these types of documents are as green as money.

Besides the potential for seemingly irreperable damage to be done to a victim's credit (the measure by which all financial institutions base their decisions, from loans to mortgages, to credit cards, to bank acocunts), some personal information could end up as part of criminal activity other than white-collar crimes. What do I mean? I mean international criminals using doctored documents to cross borders and elude authorities (yes, this includes terrorists. For more information on terrorist travel, see the 9-11 Commission Staff Report (pdf) on the subject).

How does identity theft contribute to criminal enterprise? By creating a surplus of information through which criminals can profit, as well as by providing the necessary raw materials (false driver's licenses, doctored passports, social security numbers, false credit cards, the list goes on) from which to fascilitate a panoply of illicit activities.

But I have digressed from my original topic, namely the lack of responsibility exhibited by the companies whose business it is to store and compile personal information on each and every one of us. At the risk of speaking from opinion rather than fact, I must say that I think such negligence should be criminal. In order for the system to work, such information as can be used to defraud or act at the expense of an unknowing victim ought to be as closely guarded as the United States nuclear launching codes. That two major institutions have now exhibited a significant lapse in security of this information ought to be ringing bells in the Capitol, and I for one intend to contact my Representative and Senator.

~Johannes de Silentio

New: Another article dealing with identity theft and forged identification.

Also: An update on the forging of military ID cards.